Help me with my sugar cravings PLEASE!

[SlimmerMe]

okay....here is the deal:

I was doing great. Cut out sugar for over a year. And then when the holidays came around I started to gradually sneak in some sugar starting off with Egg Nog and Rum which was ridiculous. Then this led to chocolate chip cookies and then vanilla bean milk shakes and then pure dark chocolate.....

AND I CANNOT STOP.

I am not kidding. I have been on a sugar binge now for over a month.

I am embarrassed and furious and all I want to do is find another cookie.

A little back story:
last year when I found this site I had already started HRT and was taking HGH which I was hoping would help shed some pounds with this cocktail of chemicals.

I was cardio at least 5x's a week. I was off sugar. I was eating the best ever in my life. And I got bigger and actually put on about 15 pounds with the HRT ( E2, E3, Progesterone, Test. DHEA) along with the HGH. I could no longer fit into any of my clothes....nothing.....nada.....

And as a result of bulking up, I went cold turkey. I then started feeling a little bit lighter and....... then.......the SUGAR started up.

Please do not yell....please.

I KNOW I NEED A SPANKING.

I have hesitated to come forth. I kept thinking....well....I will stop the sugar Jan. 1st. Then Jan. 4th when the transformational challenge started. Then the following Monday.....and so forth and so forth....

and .........


I cringe......as I click....."submit new thread"..........

[gbrice75]

Slimmer, i'm going through the same crap right now, so I TOTALLY feel you. However, I don't feel i'm being hypocritical by offering you advice that I can't seem to follow myself.... if it helps you, then a purpose was served.

Obviously, sugar is addictive, literally. We know this because when we DO manage to wean ourselves off of sugar, we eventually lose the craving. When we get a taste, we immediately want it again.

The solution is simple in principle, but one of those 'easier said then done' things. It's twofold actually. First, start planning a cheat meal. I'll be more specific. Even if you have a cheat meal already in your plans, plan a 'sugar' cheat meal. You need to know you have this to look forward to once a week. That's the first part, and we'll only do this for a few weeks.

The second part is to eat some 'sweet' foods to satisfy the craving. I don't know what your diet consists of, and I normally don't recommend fruit, but this is an escalated situation so in this case I am. Eat some fruit - I don't even care of it's otherwise useless fruit, like pineapple. It's fructose, yes, but at the very least it's natural. I'd rather see you getting sugar from fruit then from cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc. Try and eat it first thing in the morning over any other time of day, but if you have a terrible craving, have a piece of fruit. Now I am NOT saying that every single time you have a craving, reach for fruit. I don't want you eating 10 apples a day. I want you to resist the urge as much as possible, but when you DO cave in, cave in with fruit. Also, use some artificial sweeteners w/ plain non-fat greek yogurt. It sweetens up nicely, works for me. I would also like to see you drinking a ton of water when you get these cravings. Even before reaching for fruit - gulp down a 20oz bottle of water, get that immediate 'bloated' feeling (it'll subside quickly) and see if you still feel like eating whatever it was you were craving.

Finally, you need to develop a 'payment' system. I don't like to look at it as punishment, but rather payment. Every time you fvck up and cave in, make it a rule that you MUST pay in the form of additional cardio. 15 mins, 20 mins, whatever - but you have to tack it on the next time you do your usual cardio. When you're ready to stop after your usual 30 mins (or whatever it is), you'll start wondering whether it's worth it when now you have another 15-20 mins to go. Hardly worth it!

These are just suggestions. They've worked for me in the past, and you have nothing to lose by giving them a shot. This shouldn't go on for more then a month. If you haven't lost your sugar cravings by then and gotten back on track, we need to revisit this and take it further. GL girl, and know you're not alone!

Now i'm going to re-read this and take my own advice. =P

Oh, and if you still want that spanking.... haha, ok, inappropriate, but you walked right into it!

This is short term

[SlimmerMe]

Thank you so much. This is great specific advice. I truly appreciate it, gbrice.

You are the guru for a reason.....

[Tigershark]

I been there too when I was depressed not to long ago. I litterally did not care what I ate and it started to show. I just had to go cold turkey with the stuff and the first couple of days were brutal. However Slimmer, if you are really having a chocolate craving you can do what I do. Take an avacado and scoop out the filling. Then take a piece of baker's chocolate and melt it in the microwave. Pour it over the avacado and mix it up real good. Add a little splenda and you have a healthy chocolate pudding.

[SlimmerMe]

yet another tip....I appreciate it, Tiger

chocolate is a huge part of the addiction

[baseline_9]

Have U tried the oat pancakes that Im doing ATM

With raspberrys they are pretty dam good

The oat biscuits r good aswell with splender on and raspberrys

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ not yet. On my agenda REAL SOON. I am still in hyper mode.....

But I will. I promise. And the thought of your pancakes will help me switch gears..sooner than later

thanks Base

[FireGuy]

At the risk of oversimplification, the best way to stop your sugar craving is to simply stop eating it. When I contest diet I have near zero sugar cravings and this is coming from a guy who loves him some ice cream. Once you indulge in it, it becomes a downward spiral of wanting/needing more and more. For this reason I would not recommend the once a week sugar cheat. If you have an iron will it could be beneficial but this obviously isnt the case with you and sugar Slimmer. This is like trying to quit crack by taking only one hit per week. I am not suggesting you can never have it again, you just need to go without it until you are completely empowered to walk away from it anytime you desire and not miss it.

One of the best things about this sport/lifestyle is the application of self discipline it requires. If there is one thing that seperates the successful from the unsuccessful it's the ability to stay on task. Mastering this is not nearly as hard as people make it out to be. It's all about being in control of your actions.

[SlimmerMe]

Whew! ......words of wisdom.....thanks FG

[baseline_9]

FG is rite as usuall

I have said it before and i will say it again

The more dedicated you are the more dedicated you want to be

[SlimmerMe]

FG is rite as usuall

I have said it before and i will say it again

The more dedicated you are the more dedicated you want to be

I know this....and have been very dedicated before many times to the point of evangelism....

I was VERY dedicated last year when on all the mentioned hormones and I got worse results physically but better results emotionally; so much so that it didn't even bother me that I kept bulking up with tighter clothes....but then when reality hit and I had nothing to wear ( and seriously nothing to wear...not the typical female saying I have nothing to wear..LOL..) and was forced to go cold turkey on the chemicals.....and was so frustrated that even with the dedication, the results got worse...

so I suppose I thought, "oh well, to heck with it. I will just enjoy my sugar since going off of it did nothing..."

and this is when fooling the mind gets dangerous.....

[chi]

slimmer i just ate a choco chip cookie in honor of u

[gbrice75]

Just to clarify - I offered the advice above as an alternative to going cold turkey. Obviously going cold turkey would be the best thing you can do, but unfortunately it's not that easy for some people and they wind up going on huge binges. That is why I suggested the once per week cheat. I get the analogy of the crackhead hitting the pipe only once/week and it's valid - however I think we can agree that no food craving is THAT strong and can be controlled much better, even by the weakest of us.

In any event, my suggestion was short term, no longer then a month with the hopes that by then you will have lost the craving since you're not eating these kinds of foods but once per week. Either way Slimmer, you know what you need to do. =)

[jimmyinkedup]

1- sugar free jello.
2- Sugar free/fat free instant pudding with a scoop of protein powder mixed with skim milk / lowfat soy mlik or lowfat almond milk ..... (great 4 chocoholic)
3- Artificially sweetened becerage ie: green tea with splends (i prefer hot tes - thats me)

Obviously elimination after time cures urges...but these have helped me in the past....

[FireGuy]

Just to clarify - I offered the advice above as an alternative to going cold turkey. Obviously going cold turkey would be the best thing you can do, but unfortunately it's not that easy for some people and they wind up going on huge binges. That is why I suggested the once per week cheat. I get the analogy of the crackhead hitting the pipe only once/week and it's valid - however I think we can agree that no food craving is THAT strong and can be controlled much better, even by the weakest of us.

In any event, my suggestion was short term, no longer then a month with the hopes that by then you will have lost the craving since you're not eating these kinds of foods but once per week. Either way Slimmer, you know what you need to do. =)

I wasnt dismissing your advice as being bad, sorry if it came across that way. I was trying to address the big picture and address the cause instead of solely the symptom if you will. If someone craves pizza, pasta, sushi, or any other thing that may not be part of their daily diet I would give similiar advice to what you did. Sugar is a totally different animal and after reading Slimmer's post it seemed to me this had gone beyond simple cravings and was turning into an obsession which she no longer could find the discipline to resist, hence my "big picture" advice.

I will disagree (respectively of course) on the statement that no food craving is as strong as the drug ones. You listen to the stories on the morbidly obese and these people literally eat themselves to death. Think of how many thousands of people there are who are bedridden laying in there own doo-doo cause they too fat to even roll out of bed.

[SlimmerMe]

I hear you both gbrice and Fireguy......loud and clear.....all the way thru cyberspace

Fireguy: why do you say "sugar is a totally different animal?"

Could you elaborate please? I would be very curious as to why you say this and am guessing as to why with the insulin spike/ glucose etc....but would love to hear your explanation. thank you.

[n00bs]

It's like any addiction you only want It when you have it. Any little bit you have does not satisfy and you are on the downward spiral again.

100% abstinence is required to defeat the white beast..

I am going through this as well since Christmas it had been 2 years.

Learn to make sugar free dark chocolate it's a savior..

[MBMETC]

Slim is something different in your diet, did something change other than the holidays. Usually if your craving sugar your missing something in your diet. When I eat less carbs my craving for sweets goes up

[SlimmerMe]

Slim is something different in your diet, did something change other than the holidays. Usually if your craving sugar your missing something in your diet. When I eat less carbs my craving for sweets goes up

can't think of anything at the moment. I will go without sugar for a long time and then all of the sudden the craving starts back up.

thanks for asking

I will put my thinking cap on as to what I might be missing

[Damienm05]

Cold Turkey my dear. Your brain is addicted to sugar, that's a fact. But if smack junkies and smokers can kick their habits with some determination, so can you.

GB's advice is solid and if you're brain is wired opposite of mine, you'll surely benefit from it. However, rewards systems and planned cheats never work for me. They end up being nothing more than setbacks that distort my progress. 21 consecutive days of sticking to my macros 100% on the other hand and the next 6-weeks will be a breeze. Dieting for a specific, current goal is merely the means to an end. Just stick it out and tell yourself indulgence isn't an option for whatever short period of time you're on the diet. Look at the big picture, reward yourself when you get where you want to be and get there as fast as you can. You can't cheat, you won't cheat. Motivation is willpower. How bad do you want it?

[gbrice75]

I wasnt dismissing your advice as being bad, sorry if it came across that way. I was trying to address the big picture and address the cause instead of solely the symptom if you will. If someone craves pizza, pasta, sushi, or any other thing that may not be part of their daily diet I would give similiar advice to what you did. Sugar is a totally different animal and after reading Slimmer's post it seemed to me this had gone beyond simple cravings and was turning into an obsession which she no longer could find the discipline to resist, hence my "big picture" advice.

I will disagree (respectively of course) on the statement that no food craving is as strong as the drug ones. You listen to the stories on the morbidly obese and these people literally eat themselves to death. Think of how many thousands of people there are who are bedridden laying in there own doo-doo cause they too fat to even roll out of bed.

Not at all FG, I never took your post as dismissive.

It was more the fact that I reread my post and thought it sounded a bit haphazard, or even irresponsible in some parts. I thought it warranted some clarity, that's all.

As for Slimmer's situation, if it really is to the point of an addiction, then these guys are right - reward systems and such probably won't work for you. I'm not familiar with your eating habits and thought maybe u just fell into a bad way as we sometimes do. If your case is more severe then that, you just need to get the poison out of your system.

Sorry if I gave you 'bad' or irresponsible advice. Keep us posted with how your feeling day to day with regards to this.

[Damienm05]

Why are you apologizing? The advice wasn't haphazard or irresponsible.

[gbrice75]

Why are you apologizing? The advice wasn't haphazard or irresponsible.

lol IDK, telling someone with an addiction to have a 'hit' once a week may not be the best advice!

I stand my everything else I suggested - natural sweet foods, artificial sweeteners, water, payment system for effin up, etc.

Thank you though bro!

[SlimmerMe]

I am appreciative of everything everyone is saying...I truly am.

And taking it all in.

[SlimmerMe]

and Gbrice I know your intentions were as pure as could be.....and Damien thanks for the "cold turkey, my dear"

and everyone else....


and if FG comes back around, I would love to hear his sugar addiction education please

[SlimmerMe]

any other thoughts? anyone? thanks in advance.....

[Damienm05]

Well, have you considered a Palumbo style keto diet? It's not a CKD but basically the concept is high protein, moderate fat, no carb. Ketosis achieved in 3-5 days at which point the brain's glucose addiction is broken and it runs on ketones (fat). I like this diet for someone in your boat because unlike the traditional CKD, it doesn't promote a binge-eating mentality but it does draw a line in the sand that says, "if you eat carbs, the diet won't work". With that rule written in stone, sugar is no longer an option as where once you're eating things like artificially sweetened oats, fruit, sweet potatoes, etc - you're gonna be craving sweet things and sometimes will be able to justify their consumption.

Meals are things like 6 oz. of salmon with 1/4 cup of toasted almonds, 4 oz. lean steak with 1 cup of brocolli and 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 3 whole omega-3 eggs and 3 whites with salsa... etc, etc.

I'm very much pro-carb for cutting provided you're able to stick to the diet but when you're not, I think this type of diet is far more effective for achieving a short-term goal.

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ good idea and will give it thought for another try....Have done this before and when doing so, all of the sudden I snap and go off the deep end. More psychological than chemical since in everyday life it is so challenging and restrictive that I start to resent it and then go WILD in protest.

I appreciate your input, Damien.

[Damienm05]

No problem. In general I agree that a keto diet is a dangerous fire to play with unless you're dedication is tried, true, and proven. Just thought maybe it would help you get out of a rut.

[FireGuy]

Slimmer, there is a ton of studies showing how sugar truly is an addiction. Was reading a very interesting article on how extremely similiar it is to cocaine. Kinda scary when you read it. Google "Sugar Addiction" and you can read for hours on end on the effect sugar has on leptin levels in the body and how it truly is an addiction for so many people. Kinda ironic,(considering Brice and my anaology) I was reading more about it today and there was a study where sugar addicts were shown pictures of desserts and their hormonal response and brain activity registered just as strong as when crack addicts were shown a picture of a crack pipe.

[SlimmerMe]

Making an announcement:

I am off sugar already. Was giving myself until the strike of 12 but have already thrown out everything that is SWEET around here. I even drove around in my car throwing chocolate out the window...no littering with paper....pure unwrapped chocolate. And then parked in a tranquil spot to settle for a minute and the perfect song came on the radio. The lyrics basically said that the past is over and it is another day and time to move on. My dog even sat very still since he knew I was in a ritualistic state of mind and dared not move a muscle to bother me.

Earlier today I heard someone say that sugar is an Opiate.

I plan to start a thread to be accountable. And I detest the word accountable but time to dredge it up.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I needed to hear everything ALL of you said. I did. And it helped me face the dragon.

[SlimmerMe]

Thank you Fireguy....I was typing as your post went up. Perfect info.

[bigdaddyets]

Good luck on your stuff slimmer

[questionrouge]

You guys gave such great advice and, JUST as important, fantastic support. SlimmerMe, you can do it, girl. I thought I would NEVER be able to drink my morning tea/coffee without sweetening it up, but over time, it works. The ebb and flow and ups and downs of life will always be something to manage, but you're ON IT SM - good for u, keep it up, you can do it!